In brief: Man’s body found in Spokane River

Sheriff’s deputies recovered a man’s body from the Spokane River early Tuesday afternoon.

At 12:37 p.m., a body was reported floating in the river near Maringo Drive and Farr Road in Spokane Valley, Deputy Craig Chamberlin said. The body was tangled in the branches of a fallen tree.

Dive teams spent several hours working to recover the body from the river.

There is no obvious indication of foul play, but Major Crimes detectives will continue to investigate. The man’s name and cause of death will be released after the medical examiner has conducted an autopsy.

CdA teacher charged with rape of minor

A teacher with the Coeur d’Alene School District has been arrested on sexual assault charges involving a minor.

Coeur d’Alene police arrested Daniel Taylor, a science teacher at Venture High School, on Monday. Taylor has worked for the district since August 2011 and is on paid administrative leave.

Taylor was charged with felony rape, forcible sexual penetration with a foreign object, lewd conduct and sexual abuse of a minor under 16.

The allegations, the district said, do not involve any current or former students at Venture, an alternative school with an emphasis on professional-technical education. The alleged events did not occur on school property, the district said.

Taylor was arraigned Tuesday and ordered held on $50,000 bond.

Man sentenced in sex case involving minor

Jeremy E. Durkin, 35, of Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for using a facility of interstate commerce to transmit information about a minor with the intent to entice the victim into criminal sexual activity.

U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Durkin to serve 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison. Durkin, a previously convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty Sept. 19.

Starting in late 2009 Durkin engaged in an intimate relationship with a 15-year-old via mail, email, Facebook and telephone. They exchanged sexually explicit photos.

The relationship was discovered in 2010 during a search of his cell at the Idaho State Correctional Institution.

In 2005, Durkin pleaded guilty in Kootenai County to one count of lewd conduct with a child under 16. He was on parole when he was in contact with the Oregon student.

Driver sought in school bus hit-and-run

Police are looking for the driver of a van that hit a school bus full of students in Bonners Ferry a week ago.

No one on the bus was injured in the collision, which happened at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Eisenhower and Sacramento streets, Boundary County spokesman Michael Meier said.

Both the bus and the late-model van, described as white or silver, were damaged.

“The van has a local license plate and could have headlight damage and possibly other damage to the front end,” Meier said.

Anyone with knowledge of the hit-and-run is asked to call (208) 267-4392. Anonymous tips are welcome.

GOP votes to ask Patterson to resign

BOISE – Republican officials from Boise want Rep. Mark Patterson to resign, saying they have “no confidence” in his ability to serve his district after disclosure of his guilty plea in a 1974 rape case.

District 15 precinct committee members Tuesday voted unanimously to urge Patterson to quit at the conclusion of a three-hour meeting, most of which was behind closed doors at a Boise retirement home.

Patterson didn’t attend the meeting despite an invitation.

Sixteen arrested in megaload protest

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Protesters trying to slow a megaload of refinery equipment destined for the tar sands in Canada used people chained together in a disabled car and a trailer for roadblocks in Eastern Oregon, but authorities say the obstacles were cleared in about two hours.

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said 16 people from Oregon, Washington, Alaska and California were arrested Monday night in John Day on charges of disorderly conduct.

After the roadblocks were cleared, the load made 30 miles east, and should reach Homedale, Idaho, in four or five days, she added. Two more loads are slated on this route.